The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-10
UNITED STATES PENSIONERS.
How Claimants Are Assisted-An Importan
Branch of the Public Service.

How Claimants Are Assisted-An Important
Branch of the Public Service.
Washington Correspondence of the Cleveland Leader
There is probably no branch of the public
service in which the veterans of the wars are SO
| directly interested in the army and navy sur
vivors' division of the United States Pension
Office. Here is kept the record of all the known
participants. whether in the regular or volunteer
armies. or signal corps, forming a fraternity of
all the survivors of all the wars of the country.
The method Of keeping these records is quite in
teresting. card is used, upon which is placed
the name OF the soldier. the arm of service,
rank, company, regiment TOR if in the navy,
the vessel and squadron), date of en-
listment, date Of discharge and residence.
These are arranged first in companies
placed in file holders. which labsled, show
ing the State and regiment with colors to desig-
nate the service. red representing artillery, yell
low cavalry. blue infantry, ard dark blue the
navy. More than three-ouarters of million of
these cards file, and should the in
terest which is felt in the work by the soldiers
throughout the country continue, there Is no
doubt that the record will be complete.
The bureau, although now one of the most i'm
PORTRAIT in connection with the Pension Office,
has only been established since 1854 IL owes
its origin to its present chief, Mai Frank A.
Butts, of the Forty -seventh New York Volun-
teers. At the time of its formation Major Butts
was reviewer in the special eXamin alton
division of the Pension Office. Post of the
Grand Army of the Republic of Philadelphia
had for some years published roster of It's
members, giving the late rank and service. This
little book had been of considerable aid to the
Major in the way of procuring wi illnesses in cases
that could not be adiudicated because Of the alb
sence of testimony of officers and comrades. He
gave the matter considerable thought, and sug-
gested to Colonel w. w. Dudley, then Commits
soner OF Pensions, the keeping in the Office of a
record Of all the ex-soldiers. with their rank and
service. Colonel Dudley realizing the advan-
tages which would be derived from such a work,
at once wrote to General Beath, commander-in-
chief OF the Grand Army of the Republic.
soliciting his aid. General Beath became
Interested in the matter. and issued orders to
the various departments of the organization re-
questing their hearty cooperation Cards were
sent out by the Pension Office TO the different
departments of the society. Early in January
they began to arrive, and hy April there were
SO, 600 ready for filing. Major Butts placed
in charge of the work. Orders were then issued
aminers in the field to report to the bureau
the names Of all ex-soldiers, not members of the
Grand Army of the Republic, with whom
they might come III contact in investigating
claims. for pensions. The growth of the bureau
has been very rapid, and now thirty-six clerks
required to attend to its duties, while at the
organization Major Butts and Miss Minnie
Reid, OF Boston, attended to all the details.
Both the Major and Miss Reid have taken
great interest in the work, and to them, more
than any one else, is due the credit of the
scheme being brought to a successful issue
The bureau Is OF Invaluable aid to applicants
for pensions. In June, 1883, the fact dis
covered that out of the PA 900 cases then pend
ing, 204 600 were waiting the response of claim
cases a claim will hinge upon the testimony of
officers and comrades whose addresses may not
be known, and whose evidence is necessary to
show the origin of ths disability or whether or
not contracted in the service Without
it the pension cannot be issued. Large
sums of money were sometimes spent by the
claimant in looking mp these parties. il most
cases without success, whereas the bureau with
its resources. has bat very little trouble in find
ing them Sometimes the evidence of soldier
Is wanted whose name docs not appear on the